Wimbledon Day 9

Well let us draw breath from yesterday's results!

What a day of play we have...And I will be at work missing it all! Bollox!

We have on CC

Halep v Lisicki

Murray v Dimitrov

Federer v Wawrinka

On C1

Bouchard v Kerber

Djokovic v Cilic

Raonic v Kyrgios

Who will stand victorious come Sunday?

Having got it seriously wrong about Fed having trouble with Roberdo yesterday, I hardly dare predict his match v Stan today. Fed will see his path to the final opening up with Rafa's departure and this will put more pressure on the match.
Stan has a far, far better chance in this match than he would normally have in a Q-F at Wimbledon against his fellow countryman. Indeed, in previous years no one would have thought he had any chance.
You could make a good case out for Stan winning, but most will probably back Fed as he's playing so well at the moment.
I'm going with Halep (playing very attacking yet with few UEs), Murray (will have too much for Dimi) Kerber, Djoko and Raonic (Nick K could be emotionally washed up)

A little trivia today.

Who was the last wildcard to reach the Wimbledon Mens QF's?

legendkillarV2 wrote:A little trivia today.

Who was the last wildcard to reach the Wimbledon Mens QF's?

Goran Ivenisevic?

sirfredperry wrote:Having got it seriously wrong about Fed having trouble with Roberdo yesterday, I hardly dare predict his match v Stan today. Fed will see his path to the final opening up with Rafa's departure and this will put more pressure on the match.
Stan has a far, far better chance in this match than he would normally have in a Q-F at Wimbledon against his fellow countryman. Indeed, in previous years no one would have thought he had any chance.
You could make a good case out for Stan winning, but most will probably back Fed as he's playing so well at the moment.
I'm going with Halep (playing very attacking yet with few UEs), Murray (will have too much for Dimi) Kerber, Djoko and Raonic (Nick K could be emotionally washed up)

I think the most unpredictable of matches is Federer vs Stan. I would have liked to have seen Federer first up as I find he plays better earlier in the day than later in the day. I agree with you on the pressure aspect. As I am being lazy, I am going to do a copy and paste below!

I have also noticed Federer tends to throw in a shocker of a match the day/round after Nadal makes an exit. Whether he then puts himself under pressure to win the whole thing I don't know causing his game to be affected. It happened at RG in 09. Nadal goes out on the Sunday, Fed goes down 2 sets to love and is down 3-4 15-40 before pulling off a comeback. Happened again here in 2012 after Nadal lost to Rosol. He went down 2-0 and was two points away from going out in the 3rd set t/b but won in 5. Also, last year he followed Nadal the next round.

Federer today can lose to a number one or 114 in the world. You just never know. He has a great chance to do something but he has a lot of tough matches before he can even think of reaching a final.

FedsFan wrote:

legendkillarV2 wrote:A little trivia today.

Who was the last wildcard to reach the Wimbledon Mens QF's?

Goran Ivenisevic?

That was my first thought.

But no it wasn't.

legendkillarV2 wrote:

FedsFan wrote:

legendkillarV2 wrote:A little trivia today.

Who was the last wildcard to reach the Wimbledon Mens QF's?

Goran Ivenisevic?

That was my first thought.

But no it wasn't.

Tommy Haas?

The Special Juan wrote:

legendkillarV2 wrote:

FedsFan wrote:

legendkillarV2 wrote:A little trivia today.

Who was the last wildcard to reach the Wimbledon Mens QF's?

Goran Ivenisevic?

That was my first thought.

But no it wasn't.

Tommy Haas?

Nope.

I will however give you a clue.

Think Claycourter!

Nadal on his defeat:

Nadal was, as ever, a gentleman in defeat. “When you have an opponent who serves that big you are in trouble. I didn’t play really bad. That’s the game on this surface. In the second and third sets I was better than him but was not able to convert the opportunities. And for the rest he was better than me. I was not able to read his serve all match. In the tie breaks that is an advantage.

“Sport is mental in many parts. Everything is a little easier when you are arriving. Everything is new, nothing to lose. You see only the good things in your game. We will see in the future if he is able to continue like this. For now it is not possible to say, but I wish him all the best. I congratulate him. I tried my best as I always do. That’s sport. And now for me it’s the beach.”

I think without doubt the highlighted in bold is what all upcoming youngsters need to focus on when they have their moment in the sun

And the part Rafa says after that is what I am saying also.

legendkillarV2 wrote:

The Special Juan wrote:

legendkillarV2 wrote:

FedsFan wrote:

legendkillarV2 wrote:A little trivia today.

Who was the last wildcard to reach the Wimbledon Mens QF's?

Goran Ivenisevic?

That was my first thought.

But no it wasn't.

Tommy Haas?

Nope.

I will however give you a clue.

Think Claycourter!

Been pondering this one but I cannot think who it could have been. How about the year as a clue?

FedsFan wrote:

legendkillarV2 wrote:

The Special Juan wrote:

legendkillarV2 wrote:

FedsFan wrote:

legendkillarV2 wrote:A little trivia today.

Who was the last wildcard to reach the Wimbledon Mens QF's?

Goran Ivenisevic?

That was my first thought.

But no it wasn't.

Tommy Haas?

Nope.

I will however give you a clue.

Think Claycourter!

Been pondering this one but I cannot think who it could have been. How about the year as a clue?

I won't provide the year, but I will provide some notable details about the player in question.

He is a former world number 1 and Slam winner

Carlos Moya?

FedsFan wrote:Carlos Moya?

Nearly

Who is the other one?

legendkillarV2 wrote:

FedsFan wrote:Carlos Moya?

Nearly

Who is the other one?

Juan Carlos Ferrero! If it is, it was a choice between him or Moya but I didn't think he was given a wild card.

FedsFan wrote:

legendkillarV2 wrote:

FedsFan wrote:Carlos Moya?

Nearly

Who is the other one?

Juan Carlos Ferrero! If it is, it was a choice between him or Moya but I didn't think he was given a wild card.

Correct.

It was Wimbledon 2009.

He eventually lost to Andy Murray.

That's just embarrassing I didn't get that because I actually watched him vs Fernando Gonzales in the 3rd round and that was a very entertaining match.

Of course, I was reading that the other day! (Although the good ol' Beeb called him Carlos Ferrero and it took me far too long to understand who they were on about)

The darling of Wimbledon (who now has a tiny dark spot on her resume after yesterday's shenanigans) is 3-0 up on Halep.

Oh Sabine, a break up at 4-1 and loses the set 6-4

Wheels = off

In the other match, I remember watching Eugenie dismantle Kerber and the FO. She'll be serving the first set here.

Eugenie wins the first set woohooo  

Genie up a set on Kerber.

Lisicki was up-and-down against Shvedova yesterday. Will she survive? Locker-room tears would be annoying again.

I think her shoulder genuinely is in a bad way at the moment. A break down in the 2nd... she'll be lucky to get a game or two.

Halep's left thigh is also heavily bandaged. Would be good to have a competitive match.

Genie up a set and break on the other side.

Its really bad to ask the youngster to play 2 full matches in 2 days time, that too given his match concluded last in the centre court.

US officials finally understood the pressure they were putting on players with the stupid sturday schedule, its time Wimbledon has to drop 1st Sunday compulsory day off, In my view they should finish the 4th round by Sunday itself and keep the Monday as the reserve day if things don't go by plan.

Bouchard up a double-break. I like Kerber's ear-rings but she is otherwise just fallen apart.

Until next year, Sabine

Halep serves up a 2nd set bagel to go through to the semis.

I really like her game a lot, she changes the direction of the ball so smoothly and effortlessly.

HM Murdoch wrote:Halep serves up a 2nd set bagel to go through to the semis.

I really like her game a lot, she changes the direction of the ball so smoothly and effortlessly.

Reminds me of a male player whose name escapes me. That backhand....

Genie!!  

The Special Juan wrote:

HM Murdoch wrote:Halep serves up a 2nd set bagel to go through to the semis.

I really like her game a lot, she changes the direction of the ball so smoothly and effortlessly.

Reminds me of a male player whose name escapes me.  That backhand....

Ha!   Yes, metronomic Eastern Europeans is obviously what I like to see on a tennis court!

If Dimitrov is a lesser version of Federer, people are going to target his backhand. If he can't protect it, he won't succeed.

HM Murdoch wrote:

The Special Juan wrote:

HM Murdoch wrote:Halep serves up a 2nd set bagel to go through to the semis.

I really like her game a lot, she changes the direction of the ball so smoothly and effortlessly.

Reminds me of a male player whose name escapes me.  That backhand....

Ha!   Yes, metronomic Eastern Europeans is obviously what I like to see on a tennis court!

Boring is another word for it!! (I jest!!)

Murray really all over the shop so far, needs to at least make Dimitrov work for it, so far the errors just flowing from his racquet. Dimi meanwhile has hardly put a foot wrong.

He looks tired and off-the pace, does Murray.

Murray playing the worst set of Tennis I have seen in a long time.

At least Nadal lost fighting, but Murray just come in for Sunday stroll?

three more errors from Murray and Dimi has 5-1. Possibly the worst I've seen from Murray on grass since about 2006 or so...

Murray looking ill or injured. Getting absolutely slaughtered in this first set. it's 5-1.

Make that 6-1

This performance is going down as well as that sandwich I've just eaten. Am I bothered though? No. Remember Verdasco last year.

three more FH errors, Dimitrov not having to do anything at all right now.

I feel sorry for you and your sandwich, TSJ.

well that wasn't expected. awful set of tennis from Murray, can he lift his game?

laverfan wrote:I feel sorry for you and your sandwich, TSJ.

Thanks LF

He looks absolutely spent, Murray. Everything he's doing is taking a great effort.

Come on Dimiiii

Wake up Ciliccccc

Mad for Chelsea wrote:well that wasn't expected. awful set of tennis from Murray, can he lift his game?

Much better the last couple of games.

The slice to Murray's forehand is working so well at the moment.

he looks physically a bit "weak" here Murray, his shots have no real pop on them. Reminds me a little of vs Lopez at US 2012. Gutsy effort to hold there, but this isn't going to be easy.

shocking return game from Murray, you have to make him earn the points...